Alaska Expungement (Set-Aside), Sealing & Court Record Removal

Alaska's Set-Aside - What It Is and What It Isn't

Alaska does not have expungement in the traditional sense. Instead, the state offers a set-aside under AS 12.55.185, which allows qualifying individuals to petition the court to set aside their judgment of conviction. When granted, the court issues an order acknowledging that you have fulfilled the requirements of your sentence - but the original conviction record remains fully public.

This is the single most important distinction for Alaska residents seeking to clear their online record: a set-aside does not seal the case, does not remove it from Courtview (Alaska's public court portal at courtview.courts.alaska.gov), and does not prevent employers or background check services from seeing both the conviction and the set-aside notation. The court record remains publicly searchable.

Eligibility for a Set-Aside in Alaska

A set-aside is available to most people who have completed their sentence, but the court retains discretion and the relief works differently from sealing, so online removal runs alongside it. Understanding what a set-aside does, and where online removal picks up, helps before you begin the petition process. For more information, visit the Alaska Court System.

General Eligibility Requirements

To petition for a set-aside under AS 12.55.185, you must generally:

• Have satisfied all requirements of your sentence, including probation, parole, fines, fees, and restitution
• File your petition in the court of original conviction
• Serve the petition on the district attorney's office
• Attend a hearing if the prosecution requests one or the court requires it

The court has broad discretion to grant or deny the petition based on the nature of the offense, your conduct since conviction, and other factors the court deems relevant. There is no guaranteed right to a set-aside even if you meet all technical requirements. Sex offenses and certain violent offenses may face categorical bars or heightened scrutiny, and for those the route runs through online removal and suppression. Learn more about expungement vs. record sealing on our blog.

What a Set-Aside Does NOT Do

Even after a successful set-aside, the conviction remains a matter of public record on Courtview. You cannot legally deny the conviction in most contexts where disclosure is required. The set-aside notation appears alongside the original conviction information, visible to anyone who searches Courtview or runs a background check through systems that access Alaska court data. Federal background checks, military screenings, and many professional licensing boards access conviction records that are unaffected by a state set-aside. Learn more about court record removal on our blog.

Why Alaska Court Records Persist Online After a Set-Aside

Because Alaska's set-aside does not seal Courtview records, every source that previously indexed your case continues to have an active, publicly accessible source to point to. This is fundamentally different from states where expungement restricts the public portal first. For more information, visit the Alaska Legislature.

Courtview - Alaska's Public Court Portal

Courtview at courtview.courts.alaska.gov is the Alaska Court System's public access portal for case information. It shows case names, charges, dispositions, and sentencing information for criminal cases statewide. After a set-aside is granted, the Courtview entry is updated to show the set-aside notation - but the case remains fully publicly accessible. This means Google continues to index it, data brokers continue to scrape it, and anyone who searches your name on Courtview sees both the conviction and the set-aside.

APSIN - Alaska Public Safety Information Network

APSIN is Alaska's law enforcement information network containing criminal history records that flow from court proceedings. Set-aside information is reflected in APSIN records, but the underlying conviction history is retained. The public-facing records that feed background check services also retain conviction history regardless of the set-aside. This is why employment background checks in Alaska often show both the original conviction and the set-aside, providing some context but not removing the conviction from view. Learn more about background check reports on our blog.

CourtListener and Legal Databases

Alaska appellate decisions published by the Alaska Supreme Court and Alaska Court of Appeals are indexed by CourtListener and searchable by party name. If your case went to appeal, the published opinion may be indexed and will include your name, the charges, and the outcome. State trial court records are generally not indexed by CourtListener, but appellate opinions referencing your case persist even after a set-aside. Removal from CourtListener goes through direct publisher contact and often needs deeper analysis, with suppression running alongside it for appellate-level records.

Data Broker Sites

Spokeo, BeenVerified, Intelius, TruthFinder, and dozens of other data aggregators compiled your criminal history from Courtview and other public sources. They are completely unaffected by Alaska's set-aside process and must be addressed individually through opt-out requests. Because Courtview remains publicly accessible after the set-aside, data brokers can and do re-scrape and repopulate your profile after you opt out - making ongoing monitoring particularly essential in Alaska.

How to Remove Alaska Court Records from Google and Data Broker Sites

Because the Alaska set-aside doesn't seal Courtview, the online removal strategy here differs from most states. The approach prioritizes derivative sources (data brokers, mugshot sites, republished records) where removal is more achievable, rather than starting with the primary Courtview source which remains public.

1. 1
   Obtain your set-aside order (if eligible)
   File your petition in the court of original conviction after satisfying all sentence requirements. A set-aside won't remove your Courtview record, but it is an important legal step that demonstrates good faith and may support some platform removal requests that require documentation of court relief. Keep certified copies of the order for all subsequent removal requests.
2. 2
   Map every source showing your record online
   Search Google for your full name combined with "Alaska," "arrest," "conviction," and specific charge types. Because Courtview is publicly accessible, you may find Courtview-sourced pages on CourtListener, Justia, UniCourt, and dozens of data broker sites. Document every URL showing your record - this becomes your removal priority list.
3. 3
   Submit data broker opt-out requests immediately
   Because Courtview remains public in Alaska, prioritize data broker opt-outs above all else. Submit requests to Spokeo, BeenVerified, TruthFinder, Intelius, Radaris, PeopleFinder, Whitepages, and all others showing your record. Use your set-aside documentation where sites accept it. Set 60-day reminders to re-check - Alaska records repopulate from Courtview faster than in states with sealed sources.
4. 4
   Target mugshot and arrest record sites directly
   Sites like Mugshots.com, BustedMugshots.com, and JailBase independently scrape Courtview and other public records. Submit removal requests with your set-aside order documentation. These sites often require a formal legal notice - document all communications and escalate to an attorney if a site does not act on a documented request.
5. 5
   Use Google's Outdated Content and Personal Information tools
   For any source pages that have been successfully removed (e.g., a data broker that honored your opt-out), use Google's Outdated Content Removal tool to de-cache the URL. For any pages that republished Courtview data and have since removed it, use Google's Personal Information Removal Tool. A live, publicly accessible Courtview page is an advanced category that needs deeper analysis, while derivative pages that no longer exist or are restricted can be de-indexed.
6. 6
   Implement search suppression for persistent Courtview results
   For Courtview results where the source remains public, suppression is the primary route while we analyze other options. This means creating and optimizing positive online content - LinkedIn profiles, professional websites, news mentions, business profiles - that can outrank the Courtview result for your name in Google. Effective suppression typically takes 3 to 9 months but can push a court record result off the first page in many cases.

Dismissed Charges, Acquittals, and Non-Conviction Records in Alaska

If your Alaska case was dismissed or resulted in an acquittal, you have significantly stronger grounds than a person with a conviction. Dismissed and non-conviction records in Alaska can often be restricted from the Courtview portal through a court petition, creating a cleaner path to Google de-indexing.

Petitioning for Restriction of Dismissed Cases

Petition the court where the case was heard to restrict public access to a dismissed case. Many Alaska courts will restrict access to cases that did not result in conviction, particularly when the individual has no other pending charges and the dismissal was on the merits. A successful restriction of the Courtview record creates the foundation for subsequent Google removal requests - once the source page is restricted, Google's removal tools can be used to de-cache and de-index derivative pages.

Federal Records - PACER and CourtListener

Federal criminal cases in Alaska are tried in the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. Federal records are accessible via PACER (pacer.gov) and indexed by CourtListener. State set-asides do not affect federal records, and federal expungement requires specific statutory authority. If your record is federal, the route often runs through online removal work, de-indexing where sources allow, and suppression.